Where does it all come from?

Have you ever thought about where your coffee beans come from? Do you wonder if "fair trade" coffee is really fair? Many products are labeled with an origin, but what about things like your wood flooring or your wedding ring or the tchotchkies in your living room? Where do they come from? And who are the people that make these items? Fred Pearce decided to find out where all of our "stuff" comes, which he chronicled in Confessions of an Eco-Sinner: Tracking Down the Sources of My Stuff. The book is divided into sections: food, clothes, metals, and stuff from China. My favorite section was about food because, you know, I like food. Pearce travels to Africa to see where coffee beans, cocoa and green beans come from. He also tracks down the source of most of our wild fish and prawns, as well as palm oil (which is in 1/3 of all products) and bananas. By far, the most interesting chapter was about the banana. I've heard rumors that the banana is in danger of disappearing, but I always brushed it off as an urban legend. But it's actually true. There is a very real possibility that in our lives, the banana as we know it will cease to exist. Fascinating banana facts, and overall, a fascinating and very readable book. From the gold mines in South Africa to the Great Mall in China, Pearce provides us with an inside look at where it all comes from and the effect our "stuff" has on the planet and the people who make it.